Relay



Feb. 10, 1925.

C. E. M COY RELAY Filed March 19 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I III Hll 0 INVENTOR.

BY a X A TTORNEY.

c. E. M coY RELAY Filed MarGh 19 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT 9.

2 ca- KW A TTORNEY.

c. E. McCOY RELAY Filed Mar h 19 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY 1 a KM A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFE I C"E..,

CHARLES E. MCCOY, OF WILKINSBUR-G, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO'R' TO THEIINION.

SWITCH 8:; SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SYVISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OLE PENNSYLVANIA.

RELAY.

Application filed March 19, 1921.

T 0 (IZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. MCCOY, a citizen or the United States, residing at lVilliinsburg, in the county of Allegheny 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to relays of the electroma 'netic t )e. and to s stems of railway signaling to which such relays are par ticularly well adapted.

I will describe one form of relay and one form of railway signaling system, both em bodying my invention, .and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view showing in side elevation one form of relay embodying my invention, ertain parts being removed. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showingthe parts which are not illustrated in Fig.v 1 and omitting some of t-he parts which are illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a bottom View of the relay showing the parts which are illustrated in Fig. 2. Figs is a top view of the magnets forming part of the relay shown in the preceding views. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of railway signaling system employing the relay illustrated in the pre- (eding views.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, the refer- 5 ence character A designates a plate of insulating material, such as porcelain, which serves as the support for all of the operating I parts of the relay.

Mounted on the plate A is an electromagnet B which comprises. as usual, a pair of parallel cores 9. and 2 connected at the top by abackstrap 77, each core being provided with a winding 4. Each core passes through the plate A and terminates in an enlarged pole-piece 3 or 3 on the under side of this plate. Electromagnet R is made slowsl'eleasing in character by suitable means, such, for example, as copper sleeves 26 surrounding the cores 2 and 2 Also mounted on the plate A is a second electromagnet C which is formed in part by Serial No. 453,830.

portions of magnet B. Oneleg-ofmagnet O comprises the two'cores 2, 2 in multiple, and the other leg is a separate core the upper end 01'. which is attached to asuitable projection or ear 7'? onthe back-strap T7 and the lower end of which-terminates in a pole-piece 5 located. on the under side of the plate A. The winding ofmagnet C, which is designated 6, is mountcd-onthe core 5.

The relay is provided with two arinatunes, viz, a neutral armature? and a polarizedarmature 8. The former is shownsin Fig-1 only, and the latter in Figs-2 .and 3.

The neutral armature 7. is pivotally mounted in a bracket 9 attached to the polepieces 3 and 3 so that it moves towards and away from these pol-apieces in accord-,- ance with the presence and absence of cur: rent inmagnet B. This armature, however, is not affected by the presence and absence of current .in magnet C. for tlie reason that it is spaced a consideralile distance tromi.

pole-piece 5 The armature 7 carries a plue rality of contact fingered, etc,.which;.are spaced therefrom by insulating stndslO and which co-operate in the usual. :manneiwwith front contact members 11, etc,..a-nd. with back contact members 12, etc,.thetront cons tacts being closed when 'magnetsB is energized and the back contacts being-closed when this magnet is deenergized...

The polarized armature 8 is shaped as best shown in Fig. 3; that is,,.it has a body portion 8 located beneaththe pole-piece 5, and two legs 8 and 8 whichnre disposed between the pole-pieces 8 and This armature, then, is influenced by both magnets B and C. ArmatureS ismounted to move in two different planes. The armatureitself is mounted on horizontally.disposed trunnions 18, 13 which are pivotedin a T- shaped member 1%, so that as: far as this mounting is concerned them-matureswings v in a vertical plane towards the pole-piece 5. The away trom this that the end 8 heavier than the ends 8, 8, hut whenniagnct C is energized the end S is moved upwardly to pole-piece..5 /regardless otthe polarityot the-current supand away from armature 1s biased pole-piece owing tothe tact;

plied to winding 6. This response of an mature 8 to the presence and absence of current in winding 6 is due to the fact that the armature bridges the gap between polepieces 3 and 3 on the one hand, and polepieee 5 on the other. Armature 8 carries a contact finger 15 which engages with a back contact 16 or a front contact 17 according, as magnet C is deenergized or energized. As will be explained hereinafter, when contact 15-17 is closed, current of fixed polarity is supplied to win-dings 4: of magnet B, but this current is discontinued when contact 15-17 opens.

The polarized armature 8 is also mounted to swing in a horizontal plane, and to accomplish this the member 14 is swivelled on two vertically disposed pivots 18 and 18*. upper pivot 18 is attached to member 14, from which it .passes upwardly through a hole in armature 8 and is trunnioned in the pole-piece 5 and core 5. The lower pivot 18 is mounted in an arm 19 which projects downwardly from a plate 19, this plate being held in position against plate A by the pole-pieces 3, 5 and 5*. It will be seen, then, that armature 8 can swing to one pos1- tion wherein leg 8 engages pole-piece 3, and to another position wherein leg 8 engages pole-piece 3"-. It occupies one of these positions or the other according as current of one polarity or the other is supplied to windin '6.

' attached to the polarized armature 8 by insulating studs 20 are two contact fingers 21 and 21, which constitute the polarized contacts of the relay, and which co-operate with fixed contact members 22, 23, 2 1 and 25. These contacts are, of course, controlled by'the movements of the armature in the horizontal plane,and are not affected by the vertical movement on the trunnions'13, 18. hen the armature is in such position that the leg 8 engages pole-piece 3, contacts 21-22 and 21 -25 are closed, and the other two contacts are open. When the position of the armature 8 is reversed, so that leg 8 engages with pole-piece 3*, contacts 2l-23 and 2124: become closed, and the two firstmentioned contacts are opened.

The operation of the relay is as follows:

When Winding 6 is de-energized, the polar armature 8 is in its released position wherein cont-act 1517 is opened, so that magnet -B is (ls-energized. It follows, of course, that the neutral armature 7 is then open, so that all of the front contacts controlled by this armature are likewise open. lVhen current is supplied to winding 6 of magnet C, armature 18 swings upwardly around its horizontal axis, thereby closing contact 15 17, so that current is supplied to magnet B and the neutral armature 7 becomes closed. The current thus supplied to magnet B is always of thesame polarity, regardless of the polar- The ity of the current in winding 6, so that as soon as magnet B becomes energized the polar armature 8 will swing around its vertical axis to one extreme position or the other depending on the polarity of the current in winding 6.

I will now assume that the polarity of the current supplied to winding 6 is suddenly reversed. This, of course, permits polarized armature 8 to swing downwardly around its horizontal axis, but this armature immediately returns to its closed position. 'Contact- 15-17 is, therefore, open for a moment, so that magnet B is momentarily deenergized. Inasmuch as this magnet is slow-releasing, however, the neutral armature 7 remains closed during the momentary de-energization of the magnet, so that the neutral contacts of the relay are not affected by the reversal of current.

When winding 6 becomes de-e-nergized, it, of course, releases the polar armature 8, which then swings downwardly around its horizontal axis, and the consequent opening of contact 1517 causes magnet B to become de-energized, so that the latter magnet, releases the neutral armature 7.

Referring now to Fig. 5, I have here shown a stretch of railway track L, which i is divided! into block sections DE, E-F, etc., by insulated joints. As here shown, each block section is further divided by similar joints to form subsections DG, G-E, etc. section is a railway signal designated by the reference character S, with an exponent corresponding to the location, each of which signals, as here shown, is of the semaphore type, and is adapted to indicate stop, caution and proceed. In the drawings I have shown signals governing traflic in one direction only, namely, from left to right, but it is understood! that in practice a corresponding set of signals would usually be provided for governing traffic in the opposite direction, which signals would be controlled by apparatus similar to that which I have shown for the'control of signals S.

Each sub-section of the railway track is provided with a track circuit comprising a track battery 6 and a track relay designated by the reference character T with a suitable exponent.

Each signal S is controlled by a relay designated R with an exponent corresponding to the location, each of which relays is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and explained hereinbefore.

Referring particularly to signal S the caution indication circuit is from battery K through wires 27, 29 and 30, contact 11 7 of relay R wires 31 and 3-2, operating mechanism of signal S wire 33, contact 11"-"", wires 3st, .35 and 3? to battery K L This circuit, it will be noted, closed Located adjacent one end of each block low when magnet B is-energized, that is, when 1 magnet C of relay R is'energized by current of either polarity. The proceed indi-' cation circuit for signal S is from battery K through wires :27, 29' and 30, contact 11 7", wire 31, contact -2122, wire 89, operating mechanism of signal S and thence as before to battery K This circuit is closed only when relay H is energized by current ofsuch polarity as to close the contact 21-22, which contact is operated by polar armature 8 (see Figs. 1 and 2). Such current I will term current of normal polarity.

The magnet B of relay R is provided with a circuit which passes from battery K through wires 27,- 29,28 and 40, contact 151T of polar armature 8, wire 41, windings t of magnet B, and wires 4-2, 43, 36 and 37 to battery K It follows,therefore,that

magnet B is energized by current of fixed polarity whenever magnet C is supplied with current of either polarity.

The circuit for magnet C ofrelay R passes from battery K through wires i i, 45, 4:6 and 47, pole-changer P operated by signal S wire as, contact 11' 'T of relay R wires 50 and 65, contact 51 of track relay Ti wire 52, contact 53 of track relay T wire 76, winding 6 of magnet (1, wires and 55, common wire 0, wires 56 and 57. pole-changer P and wires 58, 59, 60 and (S1, to battery K The polarity of the current thus supplied to magnet C is determined by the position of polechanger P the polarity is normal when signal 8 indicates'proceed or caution, and reverse when the signal indicates stop.

The circuit for magnet C ofrelay it is provided with a. shunt around contact 11 -7", which shuntpasses from wireB, through wire 62, contact 63 of a stick relay X and wire 6 to wire 65. The stick relay X is so controlled as to be closed when av train passes signal S moving toward the right, but not when a train passes along the track moving in the. opposite direction. The pick-up circuit for this relay is from battery K through wires 44, a5, 4.6, 17, 66 and 67, contact M operated by signal S wire 68, back contact 69 0f track relay T, wire 70, winding of relay X wire '71, contact Hi -7 of relay R and wires 72, 72 and 61 to battery K This circuit will be closed when a train passes point F, provided that at suehlime' signal S indicates either proceed or caution, thatis, provided contact M is closed. The stick or holding circuit for relay X is frombattery K, through wires a i' and 73, contact 74; of relay X wire 75, winding of relay X wire 71, contact 127 and wires -72, 72 and 61 to battery K hen relay X" is once closed, it will rema n closedas'long as ma net 13 of relayR- is de-energized, that is. as long as the train occupies any part of' the block-section through which signal S governs traffic.

The operation of the system shown in Fig. 5 is as follows:

Each signal normally indicates proceed, as shown in the drawing, so that magnet G of each relay R is energized by current of normal polarity. lVhen a train moving toward the right enters sub-section D-G, the consequent opening of track relay T opens at contact 53 the circuit for magnet C of relay R so'that magnet 13 of this relay becomes deenergized. This opens both the caution and proceed circuits for signal S so that this signal moves to the stop position. The closing of the back contact 69 of track relay T energizes stick relay X, but this has no effect on the portion of the system shown in the drawing. As tl e train proceeds into sub-section {3-43, it de-energlzes track relay T so thatcontact 51 of this relay opens, and thereby keeps the cir cuit for magnet C of relay R open. As the train enters sub-section E-H, it opens track relay T thereby deenergizing relay B, so that signal S moves to the stop position. The circuit for magnet C of relay R is now open at contact 1.1T of relay R but the branch around this contact is closed because relay X becomes energized due to the opening of track relay T. Signal S being in the stop position, however, current of reverse polarity is supplied to magnet C of relay L so that contact 21-22 of the latter relay is opened. Magnet 13 of this relay is energized, however, so that the caution indication circuit for signal S becomes closed and this signal, therefore, moves to the care tion position. As the train proceeds into sub-section H-F, track relay T opens and track relay T closes,but this has no effect on the other parts of the apparatus shown on the drawing. As the train passes point F, it opens track relay T, thereby placing signal S at stop and closing relay Current of reverse polarity is then supplied to magnet C of relay R so that signal S returns to the caution position. In so doing. it shifts the position of polechanger P so that current of normal polarity is again supplied to magnet C of relay R The reversal of the polarity of the current in this magnet winding permits contact 1517 to open momentarily, thereby momentarily discontinuing the supply of current to magnet B of the same relay. Magnet- B being slow-releasing,however, the neutral armatur contacts of this relay remain closed, so that'the caution indication circuit for signal S remains closed. The slow-releasing feature of inagnet'li augmented by the fact that while back contact 15l(3 of magnet C is closed, magnet B is placed on shortcircuit through wires 42, 43 and T8,

contact 1615, and wire 41. Contact 21-22 of relay R now closes, so that signal S returns to the proceed position. As the train passes out of the block sect-ion to the right of signal S this signal returns to the caution position, thereby permitting signal S to return to the proceed position, and as the train leaves the second block in advance of point F, signal S also returns to the proceed position, whereupon the parts of the apparatus are restored to the conditions in which they are shown in the drawing.

l/Vhen a train moving in the opposite direction, that is, towards the left, enters a sub-section to the right of point J, the opening of the track relay for such sub-section opens the circuit for magnet C of relay R so that signal S moves tothe stop position. The opening of the neutral contacts of relay R serves to open the circuit for magnet C of relay R so that this relay also becomes de-energized and signal S moves to the stop position. For a similar reason, signal S moves to thestop position. As the train passes point F, signal S will return to the proceed position, and, similarly, as the train passes points E and D, signals S and S will successively return to the proceed position. Although I have herein shown and described only one form of relay and only one form of signal system both embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A relay comprising a slow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet formed in part by the first, an armature polarized by said neutral magnet when the latter is energized and responsive in one manner to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet and in another manner to the polarity of such current, means controlled by said armature when moved in response to current in said second magnet for supplying current of fixed polarity to said first magnet, and a neutral armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said first magnet.

2. A relay comprising a slow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet formed in part by the first, an armature responsive in one manner to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet, means for supplying current of fixed polarity to said first magnet when said armature responds to the presence of current in the second magnet, said armature being polarized by the first magnet when ener g ized and responsive in another manner to the polarity of the current supplied to the second magnet, and a neutral armature responsive to the presence and absence of cur rent in the first magnet.

3. A relay comprising aslow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet, an armature responsive in one manner to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet and in another manner to the polarity of such current, means for controlling the supply of current to said first magnetcby said armature, and a second armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said first magnet. V

4. A relay comprising a. slow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet, an armature responsive in one manner to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet and in another manner to the polarity of such current, means for supplying current of fixed polarity to said first magnet when said armature responds to the presence of current in the second magnet, and a second armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said first magnet.

5. A relay comprising a slow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet, an armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet by movement in one path and to the polarity of the current in the second magnet by movement in another path, means for controlling the supply of current to said first magnet by said armature, and a second armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said first magnet.

6. A relay comprising a slow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet, an armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet by movement in one path and to the polarity of the current in the second magnet by movement in another path, means for supplying current of fixed polarity to said first magnet when said armature moves in response to current in the second magnet, and a second armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in the first magnet.

7. A relay comprising a slow-releasing electromagnet, a second electromagnet, an armature pivotally mounted to swing on two axes perpendicular to each other, said armature moving about one axis in response to the presence and absence of current in said second magnet and about the other axis in response to the polarity of such current, means for controlling the supply of current to said first magnet by said armature, and a second armature responsive to the presence and absence of current in said first magnet.

S. A relay comprising a slow-releasing electromagnet having two parallel cores and a neutral winding on each core, a second electromagnet one leg of which is formed by said two cores in multiple and the other by a third core carrying a third winding, an armature mounted to move towards and away from said third core according to the presence or absence of current in said third winding, ineans controlled by said armature when attracted to said third core for supplying current of fixed polarity to said neutral windings, said armature being mounted to also swing towards one or the other of said first-mentioned cores according 10 to the polarity of the current in said third winding, and a second armature movable towards or away from said first-mentioned cores according to the presence or absence of current in said neutral windings.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

CHARLES E. MCCOY. 

